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"College Republicans," about the political coming-of-age of Karl Rove, has been generating buzz since Wes Jones' script landed on the 2010 Blacklist of best un-produced screenplays, and now it looks like it's actually gonna get made.

Paul Dano is on board for the lead role of Karl "Turdblossom" Rove, reported The Wrap, with Richard Linklater directing. The film centers on Rove's time as head of the College Republicans National Committee, where he studied the dark arts of politics, under the tutelage of Lee Atwater, and worked on the most notorious presidential campaign of all time, Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election bid. Lest you think Dano's the wrong body type to play Rove, check out this photo of the former College Republican.

"Cowboys & Aliens" Full Trailer

Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell star in this big-screen adaptation of the comic book series directed by Jon Favreau. (Published Wednesday, May 30, 2012)

Rove, of course, who would go on to be known as "Bush's Brain" and "The Architect" for his work in getting W. elected and then running the White House. In the wrong hands, "College Republicans" would probably be some polemical screed too angry to be funny, but Linklater could be the perfect man for the job. Few director's have captured a time and a place as perfectly as Linklater did in "Dazed and Confused," and could work some serious magic with this.

As infamous as Rove has become, Atwater was talented at ruthlessly dictating the political discourse, and whose treatment of Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential campaign was so vile that Atwater would go on to pen an apology for his own "naked cruelty."

"Meek's Cutoff"

Michelle Willaims and Paul Dano star in director Kelly Reichardt's latest, about three families in 1845 that hire a guide who claims to know a shortcut to take them over the Cascade Moutnians. Opens April 8. (Published Thursday, April 7, 2011)

Published at 9:24 AM CDT on Aug 31, 2011 | Updated at 1:43 PM CDT on May 30, 2012